The invention relates to a vacuum mattress, primarily for rescue vehicles, said mattress comprising a skin filled with a plurality of parts made of plastic, for example, polystyrene, with a valve being provided for evacuating the mattress, whereby the mattress comprises a plurality of elements which can be evacuated separately and/or jointly, and by the fact that a central element is abutted by two lateral elements, the latter serving as rails and extending above the surface of the central element. A vacuum mattress of this type is disclosed in co-pending, commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 010,996, filed Feb. 9, 1979.
The vacuum mattress cited hereinabove, by virtue of its design, can easily be used in conjunction with various types of injuries involving human beings. However, systematic studies of vehicles and vacuum mattresses with immobilized patients have revealed that under certain conditions under which the vehicle is decelerated, for example collision, braking, or the like, the vacuum mattress, whose longitudinal central plane is primarily aligned with the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, no longer offers a secure support for the patient.
Hence, an object of the invention is to provide arrangements on the vacuum mattress such that the patient is held in a protected position even when the vehicle is subjected to a deceleration, while retaining its ease of handling.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, this object is achieved by virtue of the fact that the elements comprise a support for body parts of the patient, for example shoulders, at at least one end of the vacuum mattress. It is advantageous in this connection for the support to be formed by the lateral elements, which run in a direction aligned with the longitudinal central plane. The arrangement of each lateral element, relative to the central longitudinal plane, comprises portions having a diagaonally directed section and a normal directed section. The lateral elements form an opening for the head area of the patient. Moreover, the central element is provided with local recesses for flush fitting of lateral elements.
The particular advantages of the invention include the fact that the mattress, aligned with the length of the vehicle, by supporting the injured person, provides a comfortable and safe support even when the vehicle decelerates. This support for the patient's shoulders (highly effective from the biomechanical standpoint) is provided in a simple fashion by the lateral elements.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.